
Inner Voice Breathwork
by Jo Riley
This breathwork journey invites you into a deeper relationship with your inner voice, the quiet, intuitive guidance beneath mental noise and external influence. Through slow, intentional breathing, the nervous system is guided into regulation, allowing awareness to turn inward. As the body settles, subtle signals, insights, and inner knowing can begin to surface naturally. This practice supports clarity, self-trust, and listening beyond the mind. Ideal when you feel disconnected from your intuition or overwhelmed by external input.
Transcript
Welcome,
Beautiful soul.
Take a moment to find a position that feels truly supportive for your body right now.
Allowing earth to fully receive your weight.
Allow your body to arrive in the space,
Not just physically,
But energetically,
Emotionally.
Let the surface beneath you hold you.
You do not need to hold yourself.
Take a moment to feel where your body is being supported.
Notice the contact points.
Notice the steadiness underneath you.
Let yourself lean into that support a little more.
You are safe here.
You are held,
You are guided,
And you are supported.
Nothing is required of you in this moment.
Nothing needs to be fixed.
Nothing needs to be forced.
This is a space of listening,
A space of permission,
A space where your body is allowed to speak.
If at any time during this practice you need to adjust your position,
Slow your breath,
Pause or rest,
You are always invited to do so.
You are in control of your experience.
Your body knows exactly what you need in order to heal.
It will never give you more than you are ready for.
And I am right here with you,
Holding the space,
Walking this journey alongside you.
Take a moment now to close your eyes and allow the outside world to fade into the background.
You do not need to be alert.
You do not need to be on guard.
You do not need to anticipate what comes next.
Your nervous system is allowed to rest here.
Take a slow inhale through the nose and a long,
Gentle exhale out the mouth.
Again inhale slowly through the nose and exhale fully out the mouth.
One more time,
Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale fully letting go.
Allow the breath to return to its normal,
Natural rhythm.
Notice how the body responds when it realizes it does not need to perform.
Notice how the body responds when it feels permission to soften.
This is a regulating breathwork practice.
We are not trying to reach a peak state.
We are not trying to push energy.
We are not trying to get somewhere.
In this practice,
We will be breathing in through the nose for a count of four,
And out through the nose or mouth for a count of six.
The inhale gently invites life in.
The longer exhale tells your nervous system that it is safe to settle.
This rhythm helps the body come out of survival and back into balance.
We will move through three long rounds of breathing.
Each round will deepen your connection to your inner voice.
At the end of each round,
There will be a gentle breath hold.
These breath holds are not about force.
They are about stillness.
This is the moment where the body integrates,
When the nervous system recalibrates,
Where listening becomes clearer.
If at any point you need to take a breath,
You simply do so by taking a sharp,
Quick inhale and then a full exhale again and carry on holding.
There is no failure here.
No right or wrong.
Only honesty with your body.
Trust your body's intelligence.
It knows exactly what it is doing.
So before we begin the first round,
I just want you to take a moment to notice your body.
Notice the weight of your legs.
The heaviness or lightness of your arms.
The contact of your back.
Notice your breath moving through your chest and belly.
You do not need to change anything yet.
This is the beginning of listening.
Allow the breath to be slow.
Allow it to be steady.
There is nowhere to rush to.
As you breathe,
Notice if your body wants to soften somewhere.
Let's just take a moment now to set an intention for the practice.
Whatever arises,
Allow it to fall in your heart space.
On my count,
We will start the technique.
Three,
Two,
One.
Begin to breathe in through the nose for a count of four.
And out for a count of six.
Inhale and exhale.
Inhale through the nose for a count of four.
And the exhale can be out the nose or mouth for a count of six.
Choose what feels best for you today.
As the breath settles into its rhythm,
Bring your awareness inward.
Not to your thoughts,
But to your sensations.
Inhale for a count of four.
Exhale for a count of six.
Notice what the body is communicating right now.
You do not need to interpret it.
You do not need to understand it.
Just listen.
This is where your inner voice lives.
Continue breathing.
Continue with the technique.
Inhaling for four and out for six.
Inhale for four.
Exhale for six.
Let the exhale be slightly longer.
Let it tell your nervous system there is no urgency here.
You are safe.
As you bring your awareness to the inside of your body.
Not to the shape of it.
Not how it looks.
But how it feels to be here.
Notice the subtle sensations.
Coolness.
Tingling.
Heaviness.
Softness.
There is no correct sensation.
Whatever you notice is perfect.
This is your body speaking.
As you continue with this breath.
Inhaling for four and exhaling for six.
Inhaling for four and exhaling for six.
As you continue breathing.
I invite you to ask without needing an answer.
What does my body need right now?
You don't need words.
You don't need clarity.
The answer may come as a sensation.
A sigh.
A shift.
A release.
Let the body respond in its own language.
If emotions begin to rise,
Allow them.
They are not a problem.
They are information.
Your body is releasing what it is ready to release.
You are safe to feel.
You are safe to soften.
And you are safe to listen.
Inhaling for four.
Exhaling for six.
Inhaling for four and a slow long exhale for six.
Each exhale takes you deeper into the body.
Each exhale invites more trust.
Notice if your shoulders want to drop a little more.
Notice if your belly wants to relax.
Let it happen naturally.
You are not doing this.
Your body is doing this.
As you continue breathing.
Know that we are approaching the first breath hold.
This pause is a place of integration.
A place of stillness.
A place where the nervous system recalibrates.
There is nothing to force here.
Just simply allow the breath to feel empty.
Take another two rounds.
Before we do our first breath hold.
Take a gentle inhale.
And a slow complete exhale.
Empty your lungs fully and hold your breath.
Let the body be still.
Feel the quiet inside you.
Notice the spaciousness.
Notice the absence of effort.
Keep holding if you can.
If you need to take a breath at this point.
Take a quick short inhale and exhale fully.
And return to the hold.
There is no competition here.
Only listening.
Feel how the stillness spreads through your body.
Through your chest.
Through your belly.
Through your spine.
Through your nervous system.
And on my count.
3,
2,
1.
Inhale slowly through the nose.
Hold it.
And exhale.
Come back to your normal rhythm.
Notice the shift.
Notice the softness.
Notice the quiet clarity.
Rest in the stillness.
Nothing to do.
Your body is processing.
Your nervous system is adjusting.
Notice how it feels now inside of you.
This is the inner voice becoming clearer.
Not louder but clearer.
On my count.
We will start with round 2.
3,
2,
1.
Inhaling for 4.
Exhaling for 6.
Inhale for 4.
Exhale for 6.
Let the breath guide you back into rhythm.
This time we listen even more deeply.
Continue breathing.
Inhaling for 4.
And exhale for 6.
Let the breath be smooth.
Let it be steady.
Let it be yours.
As the rhythm continues,
Something deeper begins to open.
Not the mind.
Not in thought.
But beneath.
Bring your attention now to the centre of your chest.
Not forcing anything.
Just noticing.
This is not about emotion.
It is about presence.
Notice if there is a warmth here.
Or spaciousness.
Or perhaps nothing at all.
Whatever is present is enough.
Your body does not need you to analyse it.
It only needs you to listen.
Inhale for 4.
Exhale for 6.
Most of your life you have been taught to override your body.
To push through discomfort.
To ignore subtle signals.
To keep going even when something inside asks to stop.
In this space we do the opposite.
We trust the body.
Because the body is the most intelligent system you will ever inhabit.
It knows when to soften.
It knows when to release.
It knows when to rest.
And it knows when something is ready to move.
As you breathe.
Inhaling for 4.
Exhaling for 6.
Notice where your body feels open.
And notice where it feels guarded.
Do not try and change it.
Just simply bring your breath there.
Inhale gently into those spaces.
And exhale slowly allowing them to soften.
You do not need to force a release.
Release happens naturally when your body feels safe.
Continue breathing.
Inhaling for 4.
Exhaling for 6.
As you continue breathing.
Quietly ask yourself.
Where in my body am I holding tension right now?
There is no right answer.
It might be the jaw,
The chest,
The belly,
The hips.
Wherever your awareness lands.
That is where the body wants your presence.
So breathe into that space now.
Not to fix it but to support it.
Your breath is an invitation.
Inhaling for 4.
Exhaling for 6.
Each breath brings more awareness.
Each breath brings more trust.
You may notice sensations increasing,
Tingling,
Warmth.
Gentle movement.
This is the body responding.
Let it respond.
You are safe to feel.
You are safe to release.
And you are safe to be here.
As the round continues,
Begin to sense the approaching stillness.
The breath will soon empty again.
This pause is not emptiness.
It is fullness without effort.
A place where the body integrates what it has released.
Take 2 more rounds.
Before our second breath hold.
Inhale fully.
And exhale fully.
Empty the lungs.
And then hold the breath.
Let the body be quiet.
Feel the stillness ripple through you.
This is where deep regulation happens.
This is where the nervous system remembers safety.
If at any point you need to breathe,
Take a short quick inhale and then exhale again and return to the hold.
Stay with the silence as long as you can.
On my count,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale slowly through the nose.
Hold it.
And exhale fully.
Come back to your normal natural rhythm.
Notice the calm.
Notice the steadiness.
Rest here for a moment.
You are doing beautifully.
Notice how your body feels now compared to the beginning.
There is no rush to move on.
This is listening.
On my count,
Let's begin our final round of the breath technique.
3,
2,
1.
Inhaling for 4.
Exhaling for 6.
This time we listen to the deepest layer of our soul.
Continue breathing in through the nose for 4 and out for 6.
The rhythm is familiar now.
Your body knows it.
You no longer need to think about the breath.
As the breath continues,
Awareness drops deeper into the body.
Below thought.
Below story.
Below it.
Let your awareness move slowly through the body now.
Not scanning.
Not analysing.
Simply sensing.
As you breathe,
Notice if there is anywhere in your body that feels tight,
Guarded or resistant.
Resistance is communication.
Your body holds experiences until it feels safe enough to let them go.
Safety now.
Bring your breath into those areas.
Inhale into that space and exhale and soften around it.
You do not need to push through the resistance.
You soften into it.
This is how release happens.
As you continue breathing,
Invite this question inward.
What am I ready to release right now?
Not what should be released.
Not what the mind thinks.
What the body is ready to let go of.
It may be tension.
It may be an emotion.
It may be an old pattern of holding.
Let the breath carry it.
Inhale creating space and exhale allowing movement.
You are not forcing change.
You are allowing transformation.
Notice how your body responds when it realizes it does not need to protect anymore.
Notice the softness spreading.
The ease.
The openness.
This is regulation.
Your nervous system is learning.
It is safe for you.
It is safe to rest.
It is safe to feel.
It is safe to listen.
As the third round continues,
Allow the breath to become even slower.
This final breath hold is a deep integration point.
A moment where the body settles into its new rhythm.
Let the breath empty fully when it is ready.
On your next inhale,
Inhale fully and exhale completely.
Empty the lungs and hold.
Feel the stillness inside of you.
The stillness is powerful.
It is where the body recalibrates.
Where the nervous system reorganizes.
Where clarity emerges without effort.
Keep holding.
If at any point the body asks for breath,
Take a short quick inhale and then exhale again and return to the hold.
On my count,
3,
2,
1.
Take a big inhale all the way up.
Hold.
And a beautiful exhale and allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Notice the depth of calm now present.
Just stay here for a moment and let the effects settle.
Your body has done important work.
You may notice a sense of spaciousness.
A quiet clarity.
A gentle grounding.
This is your inner voice becoming clearer.
You are not leaving this state.
You are learning how to access it.
The listening does not end here.
It travels with you.
There is nothing more to do.
Nothing to achieve.
Nothing to reach for.
Your body is integrating.
Notice the quality of your breath now.
Not the rhythm.
Not the counting.
Just the feeling of breath moving in and out.
Notice how the body feels after listening.
After allowing.
After softening.
This is an important time.
This is where the nervous system learns.
Stay with it.
Most of your life your body has been asked to follow.
Follow expectations.
Follow rules.
Follow timelines.
Follow pressure.
Here we reverse that relationship.
Your body leads.
Your mind follows.
Notice how that feels.
Notice if there is a sense of relief.
A sense of permission.
A sense of quiet confidence.
This is the intelligence of the body switched on and activated.
You do not need to direct it.
You only need to stay present with it.
Bring your awareness now to the subtle movements inside you.
The rise and fall of the chest.
The expansion and softening of the belly.
The quiet aliveness in your limbs.
Listening does not mean waiting for answers.
It means being available to sensation.
Your body speaks constantly through sensation,
Through impulse,
Through energy.
You are learning its language again.
As you rest,
Let these words land gently.
You are safe in your body.
Your body is safe to feel.
Your body is safe to trust.
Repeat them silently if that feels right.
There is no rush to move forward.
No urgency to decide.
No pressure to act.
The state of listening creates clarity naturally.
Notice where in your body the sense of listening feels strongest.
It might be in your chest,
The belly,
The spine,
The throat.
Wherever it is,
Bring your awareness there.
Let this place become an anchor,
A reference point you can return to.
This is your inner voice,
Not as words,
But as truth.
Stay here a little longer.
Let the nervous system settle deeper.
Let the body fully register this experience.
This time matters.
This is what makes the work last.
As you remain resting,
Begin to sense how this listening extends beyond this moment.
The inner voice is not something you access only in practice.
It is available to you throughout your day.
In moments of choice.
In moments of uncertainty.
In moments of emotion.
You do not need to search for it.
You feel into it.
Your body communicates through resonance,
A sense of openness,
A sense of contraction,
A quiet pull towards something,
A gentle resistance away.
These are not random.
They are guidance.
You are learning to trust again.
Notice how different this feels from forcing decisions,
From overthinking,
From seeking approval.
This is alignment.
Everything in this practice has been shifting frequency.
From tension to softness,
From noise to clarity,
From survival to presence.
Your body is recalibrating.
Your nervous system is reorganizing.
This is deep work and it continues long after the practice ends.
Allow these truths to settle.
My body knows what I need.
My breath guides me home.
Listening is my strength.
Safety lives inside me.
Let them land slowly.
Let the body receive them.
Slowly begin to bring awareness back into the physical body.
Notice the surface beneath you,
The weight of your body,
The steadiness of the ground.
There is no rush.
When it feels right,
Invite some movement into the body.
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
Your wrists,
Your ankles.
Gently move the neck side to side.
If it feels comfortable,
Bring your knees in and give yourself a beautiful hug.
Take a beautiful stretch and allow the body to open.
Take a beautiful,
Big,
Slow,
Deep breath into the belly.
Feel the belly expand and a soft,
Gentle exhale.
Carry this feeling with you.
Remember,
You are loved unconditionally.
You are worthy,
You are beautiful,
And you are never alone.
Thank you for going on this beautiful journey with me.
I see you,
I feel you,
I hear you,
And I honour you.
It is a blessing to share this space with you.
With love and gratitude always.
